Friend speaks after gruesome gator attack

An 18-year old man is hospitalized after an alligator bit off his left hand.More >>

COLLIER COUNTY: After a man's hand was chewed off by an alligator, a friend spoke to NBC2 and explained why they swim in gator-infested waters all the time.

The "crystal" swimming hole is a popular spot for those who live in Golden Gate Estates to take a dip.

Victim Tim Delano's friend JT Yahl says his family has been coming to the basin for generations.

"I would never imagine an alligator attacking here," he said.

Monday night, he went back to the same spot where his best friend's hand was bitten off by 11-foot gator just hours earlier.

Click the link in the "Related Stories" section at the right to read the original article from NBC2.

While we were with him, he recalled a phone conversation he had with Delano in the hospital this evening.

"He was like, 'I was swimming at the crystal, getting out of the water and an alligator came out and bit me. He pulled me out of the water.' I was like, 'What did you do?' 'I started swinging,'" Yahl said.

"If I was out here, I would have jumped in the water and started beating the crap out of that alligator," he added.

Yahl says his family has never seen an alligator in the calm waters. But said his family doesn't normally swim at night.

Sunday night's attack happened after the sun dipped down and when the water was pitch black.

"It's Florida. There are gators, you know that. But if you're going to swim here, make sure you know what's around you," said Yahl.

Experts say the odds of being attacked by an alligator are 1 in 2.4-million.

But gators can lunge, chomp and destroy before its victim even realizes what's happening.

Yahl says he will return to his family's favorite spot. But next time, he said, he'll proceed with extra caution.

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